


i recognize, you're a hideous thing inside

by cherrysalad



Series: i hold you like a weapon [1]
Category: The Following
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-22 14:19:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15583788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrysalad/pseuds/cherrysalad
Summary: Jacob pulls Paul close to him, and it feels like he's holding a ticking time bomb to his chest.





	i recognize, you're a hideous thing inside

A relentless pounding on Jacobs window jolts him awake from his cat nap, through eyes bleary with sleep he sees a dark figure perched on the small, flat section of roof below his bedroom window. Jacob would have been startled a few months ago, but now this is as routine as brushing his teeth. 

Reluctantly Jacob rolls out of bed and stalks across the room so he can open the window. Paul crawls through as gracefully as a house cat.

"You could use the front door every once in a-" he stops short when he sees the dark bruise on Paul's cheek and his swollen bleeding lip. 

"I hate him," he spits, hands trembling with rage that's too big and powerful for his body. "I hate him so fucking much Jacob." 

"I know," Jacob says softly taking a step towards Paul . "Do you want me to clean that?" He says, indicating Paul's lip. Paul nods and Jacob grabs his hand, leading him into the bathroom. Paul leans against the sink while Jacob runs a cloth under the faucet and the begins to gently clean the dried blood off. Of course it's something Paul could easily do on his own, but he always accepts Jacobs offers for help. Jacob does it because he likes feeling needed even in such a small way, and he guesses Paul lets him do it because it's comforting.

"I'm going to kill him," Paul says. Jacob tenses, it's not the first time Paul has made the threat. Jacob wishes he could dismiss it as empty words but there's this dark, animalistic fury in Paul's eyes when he says it that forces Jacob to take it seriously. 

"Hey," Jacob says firmly, gripping Paul's shoulders, "you're going to be eighteen in less than a year, and then you don't have to see him ever again." 

"And he just gets away with brutally beating me for years?" Paul says. "He needs to pay, Jacob." 

"He's going to waste away in that house alone, he'll probably drink himself to death within a year or two. Killing him now would be doing him a favor." Jacob takes his friends' hands in his own. "And besides, what would I do if you got shipped off to jail?" Paul stares at him for a long moment before letting out a long weary breath. Jacob pulls Paul close to him, and it feels like he's holding a ticking time bomb to his chest.


End file.
